Electrically controlled shedding mechanism for looms



June 18, 1940. w, HAMlLTON 2,204,891

ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Feb. 15, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 W Tm /ld444,4c fiz/varo/v.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS June 18, 1940. w HAMILTON 2,204,891

ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Feb. 15; 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY WITNESS.

L, ATTORNEYS June 18, 1940. w; HAMILTON ELECTR'ICALLY CONTROLLED sxmnnme MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Feb. 15, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 c5 fMM/L 70M INVENTOR ATTORNEYS June 18, 1940.. w, HAMlLTON 2,204,891

ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED snsnnme MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Feb. 15, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 i mzal MAAAQE fi4/W/L 70/v.

INVENTOR TORNEYS June 18, 1940. w. HAMILTON 2,204,891

ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED SHEDDIQIG MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Feb. 15, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet, 5

INVENTOR I BY WITNESS.

0 7 M .7 ATTORNEY3 Patented June 18, 1940 TES UNITE 2,204,891 ELECTRIC/"ALLY CONTROLLED SHEDDING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Wallace Hamilton, Plainfield,

N. J., assignor to Hamilton Development Corporation, I Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application February 15, 1939, Serial No. 256,408 13 Claims. (01. 139-65) This invention relates to an electrically. controlled shedding mechanism for looms, and more particularly to such a mechanism for selectively controlling the operation of the hed'dles whereby any particular pattern may be woven into the goods during the weaving thereof. I

One of the main features of the invention resides in an electrically controlled shedding mechanism for looms which is more flexible and less costly than that used in the conventional looms of the kind employed for weaving figured cloth.

Another feature of the invention is to provide an electrically controlled shedding mechanism which may be used in connection with the present conventional loom in lieu of the usual heddle actuating means and jacquard pattern control.

Another important feature of the invention resides in an electrically controlled shedding mechanism by which the conventional jacquard head motion and its mechanical actuating mechanisms are dispensed-with, thus materially reducing the height of the loom with the result that-a loom constructed in accordance with this invention will occupy considerably less head room.

Other novel features of the invention will be come apparent as the following specification is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: V

Figure l. is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view through a loom having my invention associated therewith, certain loom being shown diagrammatically.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional elevational View of one of the heddle rods and its related electro-magnetic control device, the device being shown energized. 4

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the electro-magnetic control device de-energized. I

Figure 4 is a further enlarged vertical sectional view through one of the'electro-magnetic control devices with the sliding armature in retracted position in full lines and in extended position in dotted lines.

Figure 5 is a collective perspective view of the electro-magnetic control device with the certain parts. thereof in separated condition.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional line 5-6 of Figure 1.

Figure '7 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional View on the lineL-l of Figure 6. I

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view onthe line 3-8 of Figure 7. I I

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the view on the switch contact members. I

1 shown in the preceeding views.

parts or the Figure 10 is a fragmentary top plan view of the. sliding heddle actuating head, Q Figure 11 is a topplan view of th'e'pattern'contact selector mechanism showing a pattern sheet' in position upon the pattern cylinder thereof. Figure 12 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line l2--I2 of Figure 11'.

Figure 13 is a detail perspective view of a'pair oi": contact feelers and its related contact ring.

Figure 14 is a-plan view of a one-piece pattern 1 sheet in flat condition. I Figure 15 is a plan view of a 'difierent form of pattern sheet wherein the design'requires that the sheet be made of more than onepieoe."

Figure 16 is a diagrammatic of the patterncontrolled circuits. Figure 17 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring to illustrate the mannerin whichrepeat designs may be woven in a transverse row across-the oods. Figur 18 is a 'fragmentarysectional' perspec-= tive viewof the pattern cylinder. Y Figure 19 is a sectional perspective view o'f a wiring diagrami 1 modified form showing a flat type pattern control in lieu of the rotary cylindrical pattern control Referring to the drawings by reference'char-" acters the numeral It designates a fragmentary portion of a loom frame which sup'portsa transversely disposed heddle' guide H disposed'intermediate the ends of the loom and through which the lower'ends of the'heddles l2 "freelyslide.

The heddles l2 have the usual warp thread eyes I3 and lingoes I4 depend from the lower ends thereof. The upper ends of the hedclles ii!" are connected to heddle rods l5 which have freever tical sliding movement relative to and through an elevator head i6, which is mounted forup and.

down vertical sliding movement'in a'guide fralne" I! rising upwardly from the frame structure Ill} The heddle rods I5 are constructed of non-ferrous metal for areason hereinafter apparent.

Theloomincludes the usual warp beam [8 extending transversely of the loom frame atf one endthereof and on which the warp threads l9 are'wound. The warp threads l9 pass over guide rods 20 and extend 'through the' eyes [3 or I I Q the respective heddles l2. The goods 2] is woven by forming a warp shed 22 of warp threads l9 and by controlling the raising and lowering ofthe-heddles, and laying the filling threads 'Withilr' the shed by reciprocating movementof the-shut tle 23 back and forth through the'shed 22. The filling threads are pushed against the woven" goods by the usual reed 24 whichos'c'illates' back.

and forth in timed relation to the other working parts of the loom. The woven goods 2| passes over a take-up beam 25 and is finally wound on the usual cloth beam 26.

The vertically sliding head I6 is lifted and lowered in timed relation to the back and forth movement of the shuttle 23 and for this purpose I have illustrated a conventional form of actuating mechanism which includes four cables 21 having one of their ends respectively connected to the four corners of the head l6 and which cables pass over guide pulleys 23 and have their other ends fixed to the free end of a lever 29 which has its other end pivoted to a fixed part 30 of the loom frame. The weight of the head l6 pulls the lever against the periphery of an eccentric 3| fixed to the loom drive shaft 32 which is mounted in a bearing 33. As the drive shaft 32 rotates, it will cause the eccentric to move in the path and direction of the dot and dash line arrow 34, thus imparting a back and forth oscillating movement to the lever will alternately raise the head I6 and allow the same to move downwardly under its own weight, and it will be seen that if the heddle rods l5 are selectively latched to the head "5, they will be moved upwardly and downwardly therewith. The means for latching the heddle rods l5 with the vertically sliding head l6 will now be explained.

Associated with each heddle rod i5 is an electro magnetic latch device 35 which is a modified construction of an electric solenoid. Each electro-magnetic latch device 35 includes a tubular core 36 of non-ferrous metal which is rectangular in cross section as best illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings. The end of the tubular core 36 has its top cut away to provide an opening or slot 38, and wound upon the core 36 is a coil of insulated wire 31, the front end of the coil terminating short of the slot 38. A latch bolt 39 made of iron constituting the armature of the solenoid device is slidably mounted within the tubular core 36 and which is of rectangular configuration in crosssection. One end of the latch bolt 39 is bent to provide an angular foot All which is slidable in the slotted end 38 to an inwardly disposed retracted position, or extended to operative latching position into engagement with its related heddle rod. Each 'electro-magnetic de ice 35 is supported by an upstanding bracket 4! fixed to the top of the head l6 and may be of a dielectric material, or other material suitably in sulated from the head l6 and device 35. In the drawings, the top of the bracket 4! is shown connected to the underside of the extending front portion of the core 36. The electro-magnetic device 35 is supported by the bracket M with its longitudinal axis disposed at an approximate forty-five degree (45) angle with respect to the vertical axis of its associated heddle rod and with the protruding slotted end of the core 36 down and disposed adjacent the heddle rod. Each heddle rod i6 is rectangular of cross section so as to freely slide through a similar shaped opening 42 without turning and that flat side of the heddle rod facing its associated electro-magnetic latch device is provided with a notch 43- to pro vide a horizontal shoulder 44. When. the head I6 is in its lowermost position, the notches 43 of all of the heddle rods are on the same horizontal plane and capable of receiving their respective latch bolts 39, and which latch bolts drop by gravity into the respective notches when the coils 31 are deenergized so that the feet 46 of the latch bolts 39 are disposed in the path of the shoulders 44. Thus it will be seen that with all the electro-magnetic devices de-energized, all of the heddle rods l5 would be keyed or latched to the head It and move upward and downward therewith. The mechanism presently to be described controls the selection of the electro-magnetic devices to be de-energized, for in operation, the coils of all the electro-magnetic devices 35 are normally energized and I provide a novel means of selectively de-energizing the coils to change the warp shed 22 to form different weaves and patterns.

I have illustrated in the drawings, a loom wherein the heddle rods 16 are five rows deep to operate the five rows of heddles i2, but more or less rows may be provided if so desired. The spacing between adjacent heddles is governed by the sley of the goods to be woven. In order to compactly accommodate the electro-magnetic devices 35 which are associated with the five rows 5 of heddle rods 16, I stagger the heddle rods and their related electro-magnetic devices so that those of one row are offset relative to those of the other row as will be seen by reference to Figures 10 and 16 of the drawings. Thus every fifth electro-magnetic device 35 counting from one end of the head i6 is disposed in the same cross row, and in Figure 16 of the drawings I have consecutively numbered the coils 3! of the magnetic devices from i to 5. All electro-magnetic devices identified by the number I are in the first cross row, those numbered 2 in the second cross row, etc.

The coils 31 of the rows of electro-magnetic devices are arranged in groups and those of each group are electrically connected in series. For example. all of the electro-magnetic devices 35 whose coils are designated l in Figure 15 constitutes group i, those in the second row, group 2, and so on, to the fifth group identified as group 5. By this manner of electrical hook up, I am able to set the loom to the equivalent of a dobby loom of any desired number of harnesses, and in the drawings, I have illustrated the hook up for the equivalent of a five harness dobby action. Thus every fifth coil is connected in series, which in this instance provides five different groups of coils and in this manner, the action of a five harness dobby can be duplicated by selectively passing electric current through one or more of these groups for each passage of the loom shuttle 23 through the warp shed 22.

The mechanism for selectively energizing and de-energizing the respective groups of electromagnetic devices 35 will now be explained. Fastened to and extending outwardly from the gu de frame I! is a bracket 45 which supports a horizontal platform 46 from which spaced bearing arms 41 depend. A shaft 48 is iournaled in the bearing arms 4-! and to which a dobby cylinder 49 is fixed for turning movement therewith. One 6 end of the shaft 48 extends beyond its bearing arm and has a bevel gear 56 fixed thereto, which gear has constant meshing engagement with a driving beveled pinion gear 5| fixed to the upper portion of an intermittently operated driving shaft 52. The shaft 52 continues upwardly above the plane of the platform 46 and has a bevel pinion gear 53 fixed thereto for driving a pattern cylinder hereafter to be described. The lower end of the driving shaft 52 has a bevel gear 56 fixed thereto which has constant mesh with an intermittently driven bevel gear 55 fixed to a shaft 56, on which a ratchet wheel 51 is fixed. The ratchet wheel 51 is intermittently turned by oised to the pitman 56 and engages the toothed periphery of the ratchet wheel 57. By this construction it will be seen that as the loom drive 'shaft 32 rotates, the eccentric 3| engages the pin 6! on each revolution of the shaft which slides the pitman 58 and causes the pawl 64 to impart a predetermined rotary movement to the ratchet wheel 51, which movement is transmitted to the driving shaft 52 through the meshing gears 55 and 54. The spring 62 returns the pitman 58 as the eccentric 3i disengages the pin 6! and the ratchet pawl 64 idles over the teeth of the ratchet wheel 51. Thus it will be seen that intermittent rotary movement will be imparted to the cylinder 49 from the driving shaft 52 through meshing gears 5] and 50 and shaft 48. By operatively connecting the cylinders 99 with the loom drive shaft 32, the same is intermittently turned a fraction of a revolution upon each pass of the shuttle, and the extent of turning movement of the cylinder is controlled by the number of teeth on the ratchet wheel 57. For instance if the ratchet wheel has thirty teeth it will turn the cylinder one-thirtieth of a revolution.

The cylinder 49 is constructed of any suitable material and has equidistantly spaced longitudinal slots 65 in the periphery thereof, each of which slidably receives one or more lug members 66 as best shown in Figure 6 of the drawings. The lug members are removably insertible into and out of the slots 65 and may be firmly held in an adjusted position along thelength of the slots by friction or otherwise. The lug members 55 engage circuit making and breaking contact members 61, of which there are five, one for each of the five circuits in which the coils of the five roups (1234 5) of the electro-magnetic devices 35 are arranged.

Each of the five contact members 6'! includes a pair of shunt spring metal contact strips 68-{l8 joined together by a bridge element 5 9 of dielectric material and which has a beveled surface "ill with which certain of the lug members 66 are adapted to ride over during turning movement of the cylinder 49. The lower ends of the sets of contact strips 63-58 of the five contact members 6'! are fixedly mounted in a base member H of (ii-electric material and extending from each contact strip to the outer side of the base member are terminal connectors 12. The terminal connectors 12 at opposite ends of the base H are respectively connected to the positive and negav tive leads l3 and 14 respectively of an electric contact supply circuit of which the said loads form a part. Thus the two end contact strips 58 are directly connected to the positive and negative sides of the current supply circuit. Other adjacent terminal connectors 12 are joined together by short conductors 15, thus one of the contact strips 68 of each contact member 67 is electrically connected to the next adjacent contact strip of the next contact member as best seen by ref-- erence to Figures 8 and 16 of the drawings.

The base member H is fixedly supported adjacent the cylinder 49 upon horizontal arms '15 which extend from the bearing arms 41. The row of contact members 57 extend lengthwise adjacent one side of the cylinder so that the spring tension thereof normally urges the contact of the rail 18 are five pairs of contacts 19,-!!!

adapted to be engaged by the contact strips 68-68 of the respective contact members 61. Each set of contacts iiiis arranged in an electric circuit with a group of the coils of the electro-magnetic devices and for the sake of clearness, the circuit containing group I is designated circuit l circuit for group 2 is 2*, circuit for group 3 is 3*, circuit for group 4 is 4 and circuit for group 5 is 5 Thus if all the contact members 61 are forced by the lugs 66 on the cylinder into engagement with all the sets of contacts 19, all the circuits I to 5 inclusive will be closed, and the electro-magnetic devices 35 will be energized with the result that their key bolts 39 will be retracted out of the path of their related heddle rods l5 and if the head I6 is raised, the heddles l2 will remain down. However, if certain of the circuits I to 5 are open, the open circuits will effect a de-energization of those electro-magnetic devices 35 therein, whereupon the key bolts 39 of the deenergized magnetic devices will gravitate into a position beneath the shoulders 44 of their related heoldle rods l5, and will cause the heddle rods to move upwardly with the head It to form the warp shed 22. The means for normally opening the circuits and for selectively controlling the energization of the circuits will now be explained.

Mounted in fixed spaced relation upon the inner side of the rail T! are five bridge contacts 80, one contact 80 directly opposite the path of each related pair of contact strips 68-458. The normal tendency of each of the contact strips 6868 is to spring into engagement with their related bridge contact as, thus the circuits I to 5 inclusive are normally open but by predeterminately positioning the lugs 66 on the cylinder, the circuits may be selectively closed to cause the group or groups of warp threads which are desired to form the lower warp threads of warp shed 22, to remain down, and those circuits which are opened to effect a lifting of the group or groups of warp ends Hi to be lifted to form the top warp threads of the warp shed. According to the position of the heddles I! in Figure 1 of the drawings, circuits l 3 and 5 are shunted for the first, third, and fifth heddles are in raised position. Circuits 2 and 4 are energized for the second and fourth heddles remain down as do the warp ends l9 which they control. Thus it will be understood that by selectively passing current through one or more of the circuits I to 5 inclusive, any selected group or groups of the electro-magnetic devices 35 may be controlled to effect a duplication of the result obtained by .a dobby type loom, for it is only necessary to predeterminately arrange the lugs 56 radially and lengthwise of the cylinder 48 so that one or more of the lugs engage the riders 70 on each intermittent turning of the cylinder in timed relation to each pass of the shuttle 23 through the warp shed 22. Also, if desired, a woven fabric may be produced by the construction hereinbefore described in which a small background figure can be woven throughout the goods, the width of the figure being determined by the number of groups of electro-magnetic devices 35, while the length thereof is determined by the number of teeth on the ratchet wheel 51.

It is possible by the selective shunting of any one or more of the coils 37 of the groups of electro-magnetic devices 35 to produce a relatively large figure similar to that of a jacquard design. For instance if the loom contains 100 groups of electro-magnetic devices 35, of five electro-magnetic devices to a group, there will be in all, 500 devices 35 and a corresponding number of heddles controlled by said devices. If each electro-magnetic device 35 could be individually and selectively shunted regardless of the action of the dobby cylinder 69, a figure design could be woven into the goods simultaneously with the weaving of the background controlled by the dobby cylinder. The means for individually shunting the coils 3? of the respective electromagnetic devices will now be described.

Supported by hearing arms 5%! which are fastened to and rise upwardly from the platform 46, is a pattern cylinder 82, the same being fixed to a rotatable shaft 83 which has its bearings in the arms 8!. The cylinder 82 is constructed of dielectric material and countersunk in the periphery thereof are closely spaced metal contact shunt rings 84, the number of rings 84 being the same as the number of electro-magnetic devices 35. Associated with each shunt ring 34 is pair of contact riders 85-85 suitably insulated apart, and likewise insulated from a supporting rod 88 on which all of the riders are arranged in a row as shown in Figure 11. The rod 86 is fixedly supported in the bearing arms 85 disposed closely adjacent the periphery of the cylinder 82 so that the pairs of riders may engage their respective shunt rings 84. The riders pivot on the rod 86 and are urged into engagement with the rings 84 by springs 31 which have one end attached to the tails 88 of the riders and their other ends connected to a fixed rail 89 of di-electric material which bridges the bearing arms BI.

One end of the shaft 83 has a bevel gear 9!} fixed thereto which has constant meshing engagement with the aforementioned driving bevel gear 53. By reference to Figure l of the draw ings, it will be seen that the pattern cylinder 82 will intermittently turn simultaneously with the dobby cylinder 49, for they are both operatively connected with the intermittently driven drive shaft 52.

Each related pair of shunt riders 85 -35 are arranged. in a shunt circuit, and each shunt circuit includes a pair of conductors 9| and 92 which have one of their ends respectively connected to the tails 83 of a related pair of riders 85-35. By reference to Figure 16 of the drawings it will be seen that I have bracketed each successive group of five electro-magnetic devices 35 and designated the groups A, B, C, D, and E, respectively reading from left to right. The shunt wires 9| and 92 lead from their related riders 85-85 to opposite ends of the coils 31 of the electro-magnetic devices 35. The shunt conductors iii-92 of the left end pair of riders are connected to opposite ends of the coil 31 of number I, group A magnetic device 35. The next adjacent pair of riders 85 have their shunt conductors ill-92 connected to the ends or" the coil of number 2, group A, and so forth until reaching the right end pair of riders 85-85 which have their shunt conductors connected to the ends of the coil of electro-magnetic device number 5 of group E. It will therefore be seen that when the sets of contact riders 85 contact their related rings 84, current which may be passing through the circuits i 2 3 4 and 5 may be shunted around the coils of the electro-magnetic devices 35. By a novel pattern applied to the periphery of the pattern cylinder 82, I am able to selectively control which of the particular electro-rnagnetic devices 35 are to be shunted, and when those devices are shunted they will of course engage their related heddle rods l5 and lift the heddle rods up during the upward movement of the head 16.

In Fig. 14 I have illustrated a pattern sheet 93 in plan, of a width equal to the length of the cylinder 82 and of a length equal to the circumference of the cylinder 82. The pattern sheet 93 is made of flexible insulating material such as paper. In preparing the pattern sheet, the pattern or design to be woven into the goods is drawn on the sheet and the paper material within the boundaries of the design is cut out to provide openings or slots 94. The pattern sheet is applied to the cylinder 82 and secured thereto by pasting so that the openings 94 expose certain of the contact rings 84, and as the cylinder intermittently turns, certain of the riders 85 will drop through the slots and engage their related contact rings 84 and shunt the coils 31 of those electro-magnetic devices 35 which are arranged in the shunt circuits with those particular riders. Thus, if all the pairs of riders 85 are bearing on the pattern sheet 93, there are no individual coils 31 shunted and the weave of the goods is determined by the arrangement of the lugs 68 on the dobby cylinder 49. However, as soon as one or more pairs of riders 85 drop through the openings 94 and engage their related rings 84, their related coils 31 are shunted out of the circuit and those heddles under control of the shunted circuit or circuits move upwardly with the upward movement of the head l6 regardless of the background pattern controlled by the dobby cylinder 49. The warp ends l9 connected to these heddles rise and will stand out in the finished goods as floating warp ends on one side defining a design similar to the cut-out opening 94, while on the reverse side of the goods the design will be formed by the floating filling threads layed by the back and forth movement of the shuttle 23.

In Figure 15, I have illustrated another type of pattern sheet 95 which is similar to the sheet 93 but in which the same is constructed of more than a single sheet due to the nature of the design to be woven. In this instance, a piece 96 is cut from the sheet 95, and replaced in position when the sheet is pasted on the cylinder 82. To form the necessary openings 91 for the passage of the contact riders 85, the piece 96 is further cut about its edges so as to be disposed in spaced relation to the walls of the original outline cut in the sheet.

In Figure 17 I have illustrated the manner in which repeat design units may be woven across the width of the woven goods and like reference characters refer to like parts hereinbefore described. The diagram shown in Figure 1'7 illustrates a three repeat design unit and the electro-magnetic devices 35 are arranged in three groups enclosed in the dot and dash rectangles designated X, Y, and Z. The coils 31' of corresponding electro-magnetic devices 35 of the three grou s are arranged in parallel by the conductors 98 and 99 with the respective sets of contact riders 85. In this manner corresponding electromagneticdevices of thegroups X, Y, and Z are under the control of a single pair of contact riders 85. Whereas the coils 31 of the corresponding electro-magnetic devices 35 are shown connected in parallel, they may if desired be connected in series to produce the'desired result.

The individual electrical conductors between the devices 35 and the parts electrically connected therewith form parts of cables as shown in Figure 1. There is sufiicient slack on the conductors to facilitate the up and down. movement of the head I6 on which the devices 35 are mounted.

In Figure 18 of the drawings, I have illustrated a flexible mesh element I00 interposed between the periphery of the cylinder 82 and the pattern sheet 95'. The pattern sheet 95' and its filling pieces 96' constitutes a thin smooth film or coating of insulating lacquer painted on the cylinder 82, thedesign outlines .formed by the openings 91' having the lacquer coating left off. Coating of the cylinder in this manner will produce the same result as the paper pattern sheets 93 and 95. The mesh element I00 is constructed of' di-electric material such as twine adhesively secured to the cylinder, and the circumferential cords I 0| thereof are disposed intermediate the adjacent contact rings 84 while the transverse cords I 02 extend lengthwise across the contact rings 84. As the contact riders 85 engage the cross cords I02 when they enter the openings 91 in the pattern sheet 95, the riders will be momentarily lifted from engagement with their related contact rings 84 whereupon the shunt circuits to the electro-magnetic devices 35 will be broken and a tie-in filling thread will be layed by the shuttle to tie in the warp ends which are forming the desired design.

In Figure 19 there is illustrated a modified form of pattern control wherein an endless pattern strip I03 constructed of paper-or other flexible insulating material is employed in lieu of the previous form wherein it was wound upon the cylinder 02. The pattern strip I03 is provided with pattern openings I04 and is fiatly and intermittently fed over apair of fixedly spaced flat plates I05--I05 of di-electric material, and supported by the adjacent spaced ends of the plates and. bridging the spacetherebetween are pairs of spaced contact strips IDS-400 which are engaged by a pair of pivoted riders I0'I-I0'I mounted on a rod H13 extending transversely of the row of pairs of strips I05 and disposed thereabove. The rod I08 is mounted in fixed supports I 09. Normally bridging each pair of contact strips I05--I06 is a movable bridge contact H0 disposed therebeneath and mounted on a transverse bar III of di-electric material. The wires 9| and a? are respectively connected to each pair of riders hill-401 and each pair of contacts Hit-I05 and its related bridge'contact III) is the equivalent to a contact ring 84, so that as the pairs of riders I0II0'I drop through the openings I04 the shunt circuits to the individual electro-magnetic devices 35 will be closed. In instances where the design to be woven requires relatively long openings during which time the shunt circuits will remain closed fora relatively long length of time, it may be desired to run a tie-in filling thread through the warp ends, and for this reason, I slidably mount the bar III on vertical guide rods H2, and interpose expan- -cylinder 49.

a keeper on each rod, each sion springs II3 between the underside of the bar and shoulders H4 formed on the guide rods. The springs I I3 yieldably support the rod II I and normally hold the bridge contacts I I0 in bridging engagement with their related pairs of contact strips nee-ms. By intermittently moving the bar III down against the tension of the springs H3, the shunt circuits will be opened, whereupon the heddles controlled by the shunted circuits will function under the control of the dobby For depressing the bar III downward, I provide the ends of the rod with shoes H5 which ride against eccentrics II 6 which are carried by the ends of a transversely disposed driven shaft I I! which is mounted in fixed bearings Hi3. A pulley H9 is mounted on the shaft H? and is driven by a belt I20 which is operatively driven by the drive shaft of the loom in timed accord with the other operations thereof. It will be understood that upon each revolution of the eccentrics IIG, the bar III will be depressed to move the bridge contacts II 0 away from their related pairs of contact riders While I have shown and described what I consider to be the preferred embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be understood that such changes in construction, and rearrangement of the parts as come within the scope of the appended claims may be resorted to if desired.

Having thus describedv the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a loom, a frame, an elevator member supportedby said frame for up and down movement, means for intermittently raising and lowering said elevator member, a plurality of heddle rods slidable through said elevator member, heddles supported by the lower ends of said rods and through which warp ends are adapted to pass, a plurality of electromagnetic devices mounted on said elevator member, there being'one electromagnetic device associated with each heddle rod, each electro-magnetic device including an electric coil and a gravity actuated armature latch member which is extended when the coil is de-energized and retracted when said coil is energized, keeper being in the path of its related latch member when said elevator member is in lowered position and the coil is de-energized, and electrically controlled means operable in timed relation to the intermittent raising and lowering of said elevator member for selectively energizing said electro-magnetic devices to cause. certain of the heddles to remain down topermit the others to be lifted up with the elevator member to provide a warp shed.

2. In a loom, a frame structure, an elevator member slidably supported in said frame structure for up and down movement, means driven by the loom for intermittently raising and lowering said elevator member, a plurality of rows'of heddle rods slidable through said elevator member, the rods of the respective rows being staggered relative to each other, heddles' supported by the lower ends of said heddle rods and through which the warpthreads are adapted to pass, a plurality of electro-magnetic devices fixedly mounted on said elevator member and respectively disposed adjacent the heddle rods and likewise being arranged in staggered rows, each electro magnetic device including an electric, coil angularly disposed with respect to its associated heddle rod, an armature latch member slidably mounted in said coil and movable to anextended positionby gravity when the coil is de-energized and to a retracted position when the coil is energized, a keeper element on each rod in the path of the latch member of its related electro-magnetic device when said elevator member is in its lowered position and the coil is de-energized, and

electrically controlled means operable by the loom in timed relation to the intermittent raising and lowering of said elevator member for selectively energizing said electro-magnetic devices to cause certain of said heddles to remain down to permit the others to be lifted up with the elevator member to provide a warp shed.

3. In a heddle control mechanism for looms, an elevator member, means for intermittently raising and lowering said elevator member, a plurality of heddle rods slidable through said elevator member, heddles supported by the lower ends of said rods, electro-magnetic latch devices mounted on said elevator member, there being one electro-magnetic device adjacent each heddle rod, each electro-magnetic device including a coil having its axis disposed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the heddle rod, a slidable armature within said coil which gravitates to an extended position toward said rod when the coil is deenergized, a shoulder on said rod beneath which said armature engages when thecoil is de-energized to eifect a lifting and lowering of the rod with the upward and downward movement of said elevator member, individual electric circuits in which the coils of the replurality of heddle rods slidable through said .elevator membenheddles supported by the lower ends of said rods, electro-magnetic latch devices mounted on said elevator member, there being vone electromagnetic device adjacent each heddle ,rod, each electromagnetic device including a-coil having its axis disposed at an angle with respect 'tothe longitudinal axis of the heddle rod, a slidable armature within said coil which gravitates gto an extended position toward said rod when the coil is deenergized, a shoulder on said rod beneath which said armature engages when the coil is de-energized to effect a lifting and lowering of the rod with the up and down movement of said elevator member, individual electric cir- -cuits in which the coils of the respective electro- -magnetic devices are arranged including a source of electrical energy, a switch arranged in each circuit including a pair of spaced fixed contact terminals, a pair of flat spring contact members having a beveled bridge connector, said contact vmembers being normally out of engagement with @said contact terminals, an intermittently driven ,rotatable cylinder, and lug members carried by said cylinder and extending radially from the periphery thereof and predeterminately positioned thereon in the path of the beveled bridge connectors of the switches to cause certain ofthe pairs of contact members to be forced into engagement with their related contact terminals to close certain of said circuits to energize the coils1'of the electromagnetic devices arranged thereinwhereby certain of the heddles will r emain'down a'nd others rise and drop with the raising and lowering of said elevator member.

5. A heddlecontrol mechanism for looms comprising. in combination, an elevator member, means for intermittently raising and lowerin said elevatormember, a plurality of heddle rods slidable through said elevator member, heddles supported by the lower ends of said rods, electromagnetic latch devices mounted on said elevator member, there being one electro-magnetic device adjacent each rod, each electro-magnetic device including a coil having its axis disposed at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said rod, a slidable armature mounted within said coil which gravitates to an extended position toward said rod when the coil is de-energized, a shoulder on said rod beneath which said armature engages when the coil is de-energized to eifect a lifting and lowering of said rod with the up and down movement of said elevator member, said electro magnetic latch devices being arranged in a pliuality of successive groups, there being a like number of electro-magnetic devices in each group, electric circuits equivalent in number to the number of electro-magnetic latch devices in each group and including a source of electrical energy for said circuits, the coils of the corresponding electro-magnetic latch devices in the respecting groups being arranged in series in a circuit, normally open switches in the respective circuits, and intermittently driven means for selectively closing said switches to control the energizing of the coils of corresponding electro-magnetic latch devices in the respective circuits.

6. A heddle control mechanism for looms in accordance with claim 5 and which includes a shunt circuit for the coil of each electro-magnetic latch device, and means for selectively controlling the shunt circuits to effect deene'rgization thereof when the operating circuit in which the coils are arranged is closed,

'7. A shedding mechanism for looms comprising in combination, a row of heddles, heddle lifting and lowering mechanism, individual electrically responsive latch means normally connecting the respective heddles to said lifting and lowering mechanism for up and down movement therewith, each of the individual electrically responsive latch means including an electric coil and a v gravity actuated armature latch member which is extended when the coil is deenergized and retracted when the coil is energized, a keeper on each heddle, each keeper being in the path of its related latch member when the lifting and low- I ering means is in lowered position and the coil is deenergized, and intermittently operated means for selectively controlling the individual electrically responsive latch means to disconnect certain of said latch means from their related heddles to form a warp shed upon upward movement'of said heddle lifting and lowering mechanism.

8. A shedding mechanism for looms comprising in combination, a row of heddles, heddle lifting and lowering mechanism, individual electrically responsive latch means normally connecting the respective heddles to said lifting and lowering mechanism for up and down movement therewith, each of the individual electrically responsive latch means including an electric coil and a gravity'actuated armature latch member which is extended when the coil is deenergized and retracted when the coil isenergized, a keeper on each heddle, each keeper being in the path of its (ill related latch member when the lifting and lowering means is in lowered position and the coil is deenergized, and intermittently operated means for selectively controlling the individual electrically responsive latch means to disconnect certain of said latch means from their related heddles to form a warp shed upon upward movement of said heddle lifting and lowering mechanism, and pattern controlled means for selectively rendering said individual electrically responsive latch means non-responsive to said intermittently operated means.

9. In a loom, a reciprocable elevator member, means driven by the loom for importing reciprocating movement to said elevator member, heddle rods slidable through said elevator member, individual electrically responsive means normally connecting the respective heddle rods to said elevator member for reciprocation therewith, each of the individual electrically responsive means including an electric coil mounted on said elevator member and a gravity actuated armature latch member slidably mounted in said coil and extended when the coil is deenergized and retracted when the coil is energized, a keeper on each heddle, each keeper being in the path of its related latch member when the elevator mem her is in lowered position and the coil is deenergized, intermittently operated means for selectively actuating predetermined individual electrically operated means to effect disconnection of the respective heddle rods from said elevator member to form a warp shed and determine the weave of goods to be woven when the elevator member is in raised position.

10. In a heddle control mechanism for looms, a vertically reciprocable member, a plurality of heddle members slidable through said member, a plurality of electro-magnetic devices mounted on said reciprocable member, there being one electro-magnetic device associated with each heddle member, each electro-magnetic device including an electric coil and a gravity actuated armature latch member which is extended when the coil is de-energized and retracted when said coil is energized, a keeper element on each heddle member, each keeper element being in the path of its relate-d latch members when the reciprocable member is in lowered position and the coil is de energized, and electrically controlled means for selectively controlling the energizing and de-energizing of said electro-magnetic devices.

11. In a heddle control mechanism for looms, an elevator member, means for intermittently raising and lowering said elevator member, a plurality of heddle members slidable through said elevator member, electro-magnetic latch means for locking said heddle members to said elevator member for movement therewith, each electromagnetic latch device including a coil, and a gravity actuated armature latch member which is extended when the coil is de-energized and retracted when the coil is energized, a keeper element on each heddle member, each keeper element being in the path of its related latch member when the elevator member is in lowered position and the coil is de-energized, individual electric circuits in which the coils of the respective electro-magnetic devices are arranged including a source of electrical energy, and intermittently operated means for simultaneously closing all of said circuits or selectively closing certain predetermined circuits.

12. In a heddle control mechanism for looms, an elevator member, means for intermittently raising and lowering said elevator member, a plurality of heddle members slidable through said elevator member, electro-magnetic latch means for locking said heddle members to said elevator member for movement therewith, each electro-magnetic latch device including a coil, and a gravity actuated armature latch member which is extended when the coil is de-energized and retracted when the coil is energized, a keeper element on each heddle member, each keeper element being in the path of its related latch member when the elevator member is in lowered position and the coil is de-energized, said electro-magnetic latch devices being arranged in a plurality of successive groups, there being a like number of electro-magnetic devices in each group, electric circuits equivalent in number to the'number of electro-magnetic devices in each group and including a source of electrical energy for said circuits, the coils of the corresponding electro-magnetic latch devices in the respective groups being arranged in series in a circuit, normally open switches in the respective circuits, and means for selectively closing said switches to control the energizing of the coils of corresponding electro-magnetic latch devices in the respective circuits,

13. A heddle control mechanism for looms in accordance with claim 12, and which includes shunt circuit means for selectively de-energizing the coils when the operating circuits in which the coils are arranged are closed.

WALLACE HAMILTON. 

